Review: Honeywell RTH6580WF WiFi 7-Day Programmable thermostat

Honeywell RTH6580WF at a glance

(Almost) everything you love about a simple LCD-screen thermostat, plus WiFi connectivity and an app!

The Honeywell RTH6580WF is a good, simple, affordable WiFi thermostat.

It’s for those not ready or not willing to pay $200+ for a fully featured smart thermostat, but still want the convenience of controlling their home’s temperature through their phone.

The screen is basic, but that’s okay – your phone is already an excellent touch screen. The thermostat’s physical design harkens back to the 90’s, but that’s okay, too – this thermostat is probably similar in size and shape to the one already on your wall, so you may not have to repaint or repair anything after upgrading.

RTH6580WF CONS

Needs a C-wire. Well, you can also use the fan wire in place of it, but then you can’t independently control your fan

Much easier to program via computer or app than the thermostat itself

Honeywell RTH6580WF review

Keep your expectations reasonable and you won’t be disappointed. The Honeywell RTH6580WF isn’t a high end thermostat, but it earns its 4 stars out of 5 for its robust feature set while still being one of the cheapest WiFi thermostats on the market.

It’s easy on the budget, the app has come a long way since the the thermostat’s introduction a few years ago, and it’s got all the basic stuff you’d expect from a thermostat. There’s no need to worry if your power goes out – it’ll remember your settings. If your WiFi goes out, that’s okay, too – it’ll keep chugging along on the schedule you gave it.

The only people who would be disappointed in this thermostat would be those who wanted something flashier like a Nest. For those who just want a smart thermostat that you can “set and forget”, the Honeywell RTH6580WF’s got you covered.

RTH6580WF unboxed – a wall installation plate is also included.

Schedule with ease through the website or app

The on-unit controls are about as clunky as those found on old school programmable thermostats, but the free iPhone/Android app is pretty sweet and the desktop portal is just as good. The app is called “Total Comfort Connect” and it’s available for free (just search your device’s app store).

Set up schedules, override the current schedule, get alerts, control the temperature from far away – it’s all here. You also get a weather report and a list of locations, in case you have multiple homes/locations with Honeywell thermostats installed.

The Total Connect Comfort app does all of the following:

Monitor and control your heating/cooling system over the internet using a computer, smartphone or tablet

You’ll need a C-wire… unless you don’t care about your fan

Alas, this is yet another thermostat that requires a C-wire.

If the comments on this site indication, a lot of homes lack the so-called “common wire”. The common wire is like a “ground” wire. The thermostat gets its power from the 24V wire (usually red), and the presence of the C-wire keeps that power continuous.

There are, however, two things you can do about a missing C-wire:

Install a C-wire or adapter designed to compensate for a missing C-wire (here’s our guide)

Repurpose the G-wire, assuming you have one, to supply power instead of controlling your system’s fan

Choosing the “Fan option” means you lose independent control over your HVAC system’s fan, which is kind of a janky fix to this problem, but Honeywell has a video on the process and it does get the job done. I don’t think this is the best fix, though, even if Honeywell suggests it, because it’s taking away a feature your HVAC system is supposed to have and probably confusing all future users.

Honeywell RTH6580WF wiring compatibility guide

Before you buy, make sure the thermostat will work with your home’s wiring.

The on-unit controls are basic but get the job done

The on-unit display shows the current temperature and WiFi status. Press the buttons to apply an override, adjust the temperature, set the clock/day/schedule, select fan settings, and adjust other settings. If you’ve used a programmable thermostat, then you know what to expect out of this thermostat.

Default schedule makes it easy to get started

By default, the Honeywell RTH6580WF comes with a built-in schedule to get you started. You can toss this schedule and make your own, or tweak it to meet your needs. The temperatures in this default schedule are pretty generous, so if you aren’t sure where to start, go with this one and see how you like it.

Honeywell RTH6580WF vs. Honeywell RTH8580WF (touch screen)

The RTH8580 (note the first digit has changed from a 6 to an 8) is basically the same thing except with a touch screen and a higher price tag.

Personally, I think your phone is enough touch screen, so you can save a few bucks and just get the RTH6580WF instead of spending more for a touch screen.

Honeywell RTH6580WF vs. Emerson Sensi

This is where things get more competitive. Honeywell’s RTH6580WF and the Emerson Sensi are both good choices in the “budget WiFi thermostat” category. They both have easy to use apps, can be controlled through a web portal, are integrated with Amazon’s Alexa, and are similarly compatible with a variety of systems.

The real differences boil down to:

The Sensi can work without a C-wire – if you have both heating and cooling in your home (or have a good budget for batteries)

How the units look – this one’s just personal preference, they both look like standard thermostats to us

If you don’t have a C-wire but you do have heating and cooling, go with the Sensi for the least amount of installation hassle. If you have a C-wire, pick the one that better fits your budget or that you like the look of more.

In the box

RTH6580WF System Compatibility

Heat/cool: Gas, oil, or electric heating with central air conditioning

Heat pump without backup or auxiliary heat

Heat only with fan: Gas, oil, or electric heat without central air conditioning

Heat only (no fan): Gas, oil, or hot water heat without central air conditioning

Cool only: Central air conditioning only

Heat pump: Heat pump with backup or auxiliary heating

Heat/Cool Multiple stages: 2 heat stages, 2 cooling stages

Heat/Cool Multiple stages: 2 heat stages, 1 cooling stage

Heat/Cool Multiple stages: 1 heat stage, 2 cooling stages

The bottom line

It’s a solid budget smart thermostat. If you’re not in the mood to spend upwards of $250 but you still want those sweet WiFi features, the RTH6580 is a great choice.

At this price point it’s not gonna “learn” your schedule or track your location, but it’s from Honeywell, one of the oldest names in thermostats, and it’s got all the conveniences and features you do want in a smart thermostat. Just make sure your wiring is compatible and you’ll be good to go.

I purchased two of these and both ended up being defective. They both turn off the air handler during HP defrost which is about 12 minutes then the fan comes on for about 5 min then the HP restarts and eh fan resets. This all takes about 20 – 25 minutes which causes the house to loose heat. This happens every hour so I loose 35 min of heat every hour so my house drops 1 degree every hour or so. This only happens when the outside temp is below 32 degrees. Honeywell has been no help and they won’t warranty they stats as I’m over the 12 months by one month. Also it does not get below 32 but this year it has been for three days now. So the problem never showed up before.

The unit is satisfactory for our needs…programmable and wifi…the price is appropriate.

The instructions were extremely lacking when it came to connecting the unit to our wifi network. Ended up calling Wifi Thermostat Customer Service (855-733-5465) to get it connected, and could find nothing in the User Guide or Quick Reference that was even close to what Customer Service had us do. Customer Service was awesome and walked through all steps.

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